1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of manufacture and apparatus for dispersing fragrance compounds. More specifically, the present invention relates to a fragrance compound impregnated porous carrier enclosed within a hermetically sealed envelope with a removable vent closure, which enables the fragrance compounds to disperse through the vent opening.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fragrance compounds are produced and used to disperse fragrances into the air within an ambient environment. The dispersed fragrances serve the purposes of presenting pleasurable aromas, freshening the air, concealing objectionable odors, and providing certain therapeutic benefits. Fragrance compounds are comprised of one or more fragrance components and one or more fragrance carrier solutions. The fragrance components combine to produce the desired aroma, such as lemon, cherry, vanilla, and so forth. Individual fragrances typically include from eight to over thirty fragrance components. These components may include fragrance oils, esters, glycols, alcohols, acetate, and so forth. Manufacturers often keep the specific fragrance formulations secret because of the subjective artistic nature of fragrance development and formulation. Fragrance carrier solutions are used to aid in the vaporization and dispersion of the fragrance components into the air. Various carrier solutions are known, and may include water, alcohols, di-propylene glycol, diethyl phthalate, hexylene glycol, and so forth. The ratio and mixtures of fragrance components and fragrance carriers are also quite specific, depending on the desired intensity of the fragrance, the duration of the dispersion period, other application factors and so forth. Fragrance compound formulations are also commonly held in confidence by fragrance producers.
Once a fragrance compound has been designed and produced, it then must be packaged, delivered, stored and ultimately be dispersed into an ambient environment. One type of packaging is a sealed bottle of a liquid fragrance compound. However, this type of product delivery does not lend itself well to consumer level consumption. The problem is that a bottle of liquid does not include any convenient means for later dispersion of the fragrance at the end user level. A more user-friendly approach is to permeate the fragrance compound into physical structure that enables the vaporization and dispersion of the fragrance compound into the air. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Reissue Pat. No. Re39,905 to Mobley for AIR FRESHENER CARD, METHOD OF USE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Mobley is also the inventor of the presently disclosed invention. The U.S. Pat. No. Re39,905 disclosure employs a cardboard card impregnated with air freshener as the physical carrier of the fragrance compound to aid in dispersion of the fragrance by the end user. The cards are impregnated and then stored in a hermetically sealed container until they are deployed into service.
The most likely end user of the air freshener cards of the Mobley U.S. Pat. No. Re39,905 disclosure are individuals involved in the automotive services industries, a car wash employee, for example, who retrieve a card out of the hermetically sealed container and places it under the seat of an automobile. This action exposed the card to the air, where the fragrance compound can begin vaporization and dispersion. The hermetically sealed container is a plastic canister with an airtight lid that contains hundreds of fragrance cards. Each cardboard card has the brand name, manufacturer, and instructions for use printed thereon. Each card is damp with a specific quantity of fragrance compound when it is withdrawn from the container. The problem with this approach is that the card must ultimately rest on some surface, and that surface is then in physical contact with the damp fragrance compound, which can stain, discolor, and otherwise affect the surface. Similarly, the car wash employee must touch the card when it is retrieved, and thusly comes into contact with the fragrance compound. Of course, in the case of a car wash application, the hidden location of the resting surface obviates the problem of physical contact, and the car wash employee can be provided gloves to protect his fingers, or otherwise instructed in safe handling procedures for the cards.
There is also a consumer market for the aforementioned fragrance cards. This market differs substantially from the car wash market in that the consumer typically does not want to purchase a plastic canister of fragrance cards containing hundreds of cards. Rather, the consumer desires a much smaller number of cards, perhaps as few as just one card at a time. The cost of individual plastic canisters is prohibitive, so the cards are packaged into cellophane sleeves and sold individually, or in packages containing a small number of individually wrapped cards. The cellophane sleeve provides the hermetically sealed environment that contains the card and fragrance compound until the consumer tears open the cellophane to retrieve the card and places it into service. However, the aforementioned problems of human contact with the fragrance compound and contact with the surface on which the card ultimately rests are not addressed by the individually wrapped consumer product. These limitations greatly constrict the market range for such products. Thusly, it can be appreciated that there is a need in the art for an apparatus and method of manufacture for a fragrance delivery product that disperses a fragrance compound while simultaneously addressing the problems in the art, and at a sufficiently low price point so as to be both desirable to consumers and profitable to manufacturers and retailers.